Bøger i Helion Wargames serien

Historical miniatures wargaming has been a popular hobby since at least the 1960s, and has become a diverse and multi-faceted pastime for thousands of people all over the globe. Players can walk the paths of military history in a game format, choosing any of the myriad campaigns of recorded military history from any time period and any part of the world. Such games often use carefully painted miniature model soldiers, each looking as close to its full size historical human counterpart as the wargamer can produce. This hobby is, for many, a visual feast as well as an intellectual entertainment and challenge. This book details the two wars fought by the British-Indian Army against the Sikh Empire of Northern India in the middle of the nineteenth century. These hard-fought wars eventually resulted in the addition of the Punjab to the territories of British India and the introduction of the famous Sikh regiments to the British-Indian army. The descendants of these regiments still survive in the armies of India and Pakistan today. As a guide to wargaming these fascinating and colorful conflicts this book provides detailed information on the organization and uniforms of both armies together with advice on how to build armies of model soldiers, and which rules are suitable to enable the enthusiast to bring these enthralling battles to the wargames table. Additionally the book also contains detailed narratives and orders of battle of both sides for all of the major battles, as well as scenarios for the wargamer to translate to his or her tabletop.

Renatio et Gloriam is a set of tabletop miniatures rules that allow you to fight large- scale battles from the Renaissance and Early Modern period. Covering warfare from the late Fifteenth Century up to the end of the Great Northern War in 1721, these rules allow you to field the armies of Cordoba, Turenne, or Marlborough.At the core of the rules is the CCC Games engine, developed by Simon Hall, first seen in the ancient tabletop miniatures rules Mortem et Gloriam. When published in 2020, the rules were the first main battle set ever to win a Wargames Illustrated hobby award; and took a clean sweep in the historical wargaming hobby awards.The troop types and armies in Renatio et Gloriam are prescribed by the tactics of the historical counterparts, rather than how they were armed. For instance, with Pike and Shot the operating methods are built into the formations we model on the tabletop. We don't worry about individual Pikemen and Musketeers; we leave that to their captains, and leave you, the general, to make all of the strategic decisions.There is friction in the game. Each on-table general will have a hand of cards, which can be played in multiple ways. Better-quality generals get more cards. Management of these cards is paramount to the decisions that you, as the Army commander, must make. When playing these cards will you order a charge on the enemy? Or will you try to encourage the soldiers onward after being driven back by deadly fire? Or will the general join the ranks to bolster troops' morale? These are the decisions you will face.There are many ways to play Renatio et Gloriam, since we realize that sometimes 'one size does not fit all.' So, if you want a competitive matched play game style that is there for you. However, the rules allow streamlining of mechanisms to allow for a more casual play style or allow battles using fewer figures. This gives novice players an easy gateway to learn how to play, and over time add more complexity to their games if they desire to do so.Supporting the core rules are over 400 army lists covering conflicts around the globe. These are broadly categorized by time, geography, and important conflict. The grouping of lists does have flexibility in scale. If you want Marlborough's army at Blenheim - fine, we have that. If you want the English Garrison at Tangiers, that's fine too. We wanted to be as inclusive as possible, and leave it down to the players how they play. We will not judge!The rules are supported in many ways. The main Renatio et Gloriam website has notifications of events, articles, or anything else that is newsworthy. ere is a forum to answer questions or to chat with like-minded players, and there is also a Facebook presence. It's quick to contact the team, and we are all here to help.

In the quarter-century after the fall of Napoleon, there were several wars in Europe, and this Spanish civil war was the lengthiest, and most varied. It was the first of a set of conflicts that split the nation and would continue to do so for a century and more. A Savage and Romantic War gives the wargamer all the information needed to play games set in Spain in these tumultuous seven years, and to make and paint the armies that fought. The First Carlist War is one that is becoming more familiar to English-speakers, and can be gamed in any scale, with dedicated ranges available in 28 and 18mm. Although taking place only two decades after the latter stages of the Peninsular campaign, and sometimes over the same landscape, it has a quality all of its own. It was big enough to have full-scale battles with two dozen or so units a side, and small enough that games can be played with a brigade or two, and with no need to compromise on scale - every pair of guns or battalion can appear on the table. There were numerous skirmishes, with Carlists in their huge berets and irregular bands facing militia, guardsmen and everything in between. The sheer variety and picturesque appearance of the soldiers of four nations who fought, the involvement of larger-than-life generals on both sides, and the spectacular scenery over which it took place make this a perfect conflict for re-creating in miniature.Those who play most Napoleonic rules will be able to use them for this war, and this work is not linked to anyparticular set.The book has a short history of the war, then full details of the Spanish, French, British and Portuguese forces, including organization, tactics, uniforms, weapons, equipment and flags. Then there are descriptions of 13 battles, each with the map and orders of battle that will make it easy to translate onto the table-top. Finally, there is a lengthy account of the Oriamandi campaign of 1837, culminating in the dramatic battle which saw the largest involvement of British troops in Europe since Waterloo.Throughout, there is detail of which regiments did what and how they did it.

In recent decades there has been a huge increase in the availability and use of 6 mm figures for wargaming. This book aims to guide the wargamer new to the scale, as well as the experienced 6 mm user through reasons for using the scale, its history, and the creation, painting and basing of figures. Rules for wargaming 6 mm figures are discussed, and some wargames of various sizes are showcased. How 6 mm figure gaming might develop into the future is considered, with potential for large wargames as well as smaller actions and skirmish games assessed.We start with the basic arguments for wargaming with 6 mm figures. This covers ease of painting, the mass effect of many figures looking like a unit, and the reduction of ground scale distortion when using 6 mm. It also considers the ability, when using 6 mm figures, to wargame with multiple armies, being able always to have the correct historical opponents, using small spaces for wargaming while still looking like a battle, as well as massed battles.From roughly 1965, through the late 1960s and to to today many wargamers have seen the advantages of 6 mm wargaming. We track the history of 6 mm wargaming, examining the companies that have produced them and the rules which have been created for them.The creation of master figures for a 6 mm figure product is then discussed, showing the attention to detail and processes required to create a production mold for a range of historically accurate figures.We then examine how to paint 6 mm figures. Which paints, brushes and temporary bases to use are noted, and then the painting process is discussed. We start with undercoating and proceed to a finished unit or base of figures. Additionally painting horses, equipment and adding flags is covered.Basing 6 mm figures to best advantage is an art form, and this chapter discusses how this is best achieved. Additionally, the creation of wargaming terrain in the scale is considered.The range of rules available, either directly applicable to 6 mm figures or modified to accommodate them is discussed, along with specific processes to create 6 mm friendly rules. Conversion of other scale rules to 6 mm figures is discussed. We then outline a series of scenarios from big battle games through to skirmish style wargames.Finally, we consider the future of 6 mm wargaming. New ranges, new materials for making figures and terrain and new ideas are constantly arriving on the scene and we try to assess where the area will go next.

Swords of God is a narrative wargame centered on the Age of Crusades (1100-1400). Rather than attempt direct simulation of the physical aspects of warfare, the rules instead take inspiration from chansons de geste and other romantic literature of the time and aim to create a faster-flowing, more abstract struggle still worthy of a song.The game aims to fit battles of around 20-30,000 men a side onto a 6' x 4' table, but any size of table can be used if your unit bases are smaller than the 'Impetus' standard of 120mm by 40mm, or more numerous than the sands of the sea! Centred as it is on the command and control of key personalities in each army, any size of battle is possible with the easy-to-use points system provided. The game also provides a quick chart to help you pick the right size of table for your battle.Inspired by psychohistorical studies of the Crusades like Avner Falk's Franks and Saracens and Vincent Baker's seminal Apocalypse World rules engine, the game's deep but simple mechanics promote meaningful tactical choices while ensuring the action always moves forwards. Among other things, it features: - A unified mechanic based on the roll of 3 six-sided dice.- Gridded movement to get the action started quicker. The sides of each square are equal to half the width of a unit base.- Scenario generation that takes the table's terrain into account.- More than half a dozen sets of special rules based on the army commander's relationship with the divine. In an era of personal oaths and charismatic authority, these special rules extend to their army as well.Army lists for campaigns in Iberia, the Baltics, the Languedoc, Bohemia and the Levant feature curated spreads of generic unit types, while the 'Faith Trees' available to generals of any religion grant special rules based on their emotional connection to the divine and the religious war that has ensnared them. Each one gives an army a different feel, providing a great deal of replayability even within the same campaign.

Renatio et Gloriam is a set of tabletop miniatures rules that allow you to fight large-scale battles from the Renaissance and Early Modern period. Covering warfare from the late Fifteenth Century up to the end of the Great Northern War in 1721, these rules allow you to field the armies of Cordoba, Turenne, or Marlborough.This supplement to the Rules covers warfare during the Thirty Years' War and the British Civil Wars.The book contains 55 army lists and enables the gamer to create wargames armies for matched play and for competitions. Starting in 1618 with the Catholic League, the lists cover the armies of the Thirty Years to the end of the British Civil Wars in the early-1650s.

The Battle of Lützen, 2 May 1813, was Napoleon's first battle of the 1813 campaign, and was soon followed by Bautzen on 20-21 May. Both were bloody affairs in which Napoleon's newly raised army met the Allied armies of Russia and Prussia, but they were otherwise very different. Lützen was an encounter battle, with troops committed to the fight as they arrived from various directions, and in which neither side had a clear idea of their enemy's strength and location. Bautzen was a set piece battle, fought on ground chosen and prepared for defense by the Allies. The two contrasting battles offer fascinating challenges for wargames commanders.The battles were not symmetrical. For example the French significantly outnumbered the Allies at Bautzen, but were weaker in cavalry. Both battles are generally deemed to have been French victories, albeit indecisive ones because Napoleon lacked the cavalry to carry out a pursuit that could turn a retreat into a rout. An analysis of the casualties however, shows that the results were not so clear cut. After these two 'victories', Napoleon was happy to agree to an armistice in June 1813.A discussion of the historical battles highlights errors made by the commanders on the day. The wargame commanders will have to decide how they deploy their forces (within historical constraints), and time their use of reserves. Will they repeat the mistakes of history, or will they make their own mistakes?This book helps teams of wargamers refight the battles on a table top with model soldiers. They can be fought as independent battles or, given the high level of commonality of the forces present, linked together in a mini-campaign.The guide sets out the strategic and political situation in central Europe and contains a thorough but clear account of the historical battles. It provides detailed orders of battle of the opposing armies, scaled down orders of battle for game purposes, maps of the historical events, stylized maps for laying out wargames tables, and instructions for each battle and for the mini-campaign. Design notes explain the rationale and historical background to the scenario instructions.The scenario maps are set out on square grids for ease of setting up tabletop terrain. Any set of wargames rules for the period is able to be used to play the scenarios. The key points for the game army lists are the number of units and their quality.Given that the sides were unequal, the game victory conditions are based on a comparison with the historical results, rather than the usual outright victory or defeat.This book is the second in a series of guides written by Rohan Saravanamuttu, the first being Leipzig, the Battle of the Nations: A Wargamer's Guide to the Battle of Leipzig 1813, also published by Helion & Co in this series.

The later Sengoku period is the era of warfare depicted in classical Japanese movies such as The Seven Samurai, Ran, and Kagemusha - a colorful period that has a very distinct difference in the arms, equipment, tactics and culture from that seen in Europe at the time. It is a period that sees the dominance of firearms in warfare, and the evolution of increasingly complex small-unit tactical systems. But there still remained a heroic ethos, where leaders and the bearers of age-old honored names would still try to seek out worthy adversaries to battle blade-to-blade. While massive armies did meet and clash, such encounters were surprisingly rare. The endemic warfare of the period was dominated by raids, small battles, incursions, and the clash of clan warbands. Small families battled one another for local regional dominance, seeking the leverage to become major powers. Meanwhile, rearms and armor improved in an increasingly lethal arms race.Bushidan allows players to control the forces of samurai families, ikko-ikki covenants, pirates, bandits and warrior monks - or even forces engaged against the Japanese of the era such as the Ming Chinese and Joseon Koreans. The game focuses on the small-unit tactical systems that were developing to meet the demands of the new age of warfare. Players must plan their tactical 'box of tricks' with care, and choose the ferocity, style and cunning that their forces will bring to the battlefield. The game includes a campaign system to allow players to pit their Bushidan against one another in longer conflicts.This is a colorful period for wargamers to paint and to model. The rules are intended for use with 28mm figures but can easily be played with smaller scale, and a typical army might have 8 or 9 units, each of 4 to 16 figures each.

Fight your own way through the American War of Independence with this comprehensive wargamer's guide, featuring detailed maps, battle summaries uniform guides, all accompanied by tabletop scenarios and historical insights for an immersive gaming experience.This wargamer's guide provides a comprehensive overview of the American War of Independence (or American Revolution), 1775-1782. The guide includes a series of maps showing the location of major battles by year with accompanying summaries of those battles and of the major campaigns of the war, and additionally it includes details of many lesser-known engagements. The book also provides information on, and organizations of not only American Continentals, French regular units and British regular units but also on American militia, the British Army's German Auxiliaries, and the British provincial and loyalist units, and will thus enable wargamers to focus their efforts on specific campaigns or battles. Orders of battle for selected campaigns and specific battles are provided. Uniform guides, including uniform colors and facings for each of the participants are included along with descriptions of the armies' colors. The guide provides information on rules for the period and an overview of various miniatures available in a range of scales. Several tabletop wargaming scenarios, accompanied by maps, orders of battle and painting guides are also included in the book; additionally, information for several historical campaign scenarios are given, showing how campaigns can be used to add a new dimension to wargaming and to generate tabletop battles.

Bismarck's War focuses on the operational level and puts the players in command of multiple corps. A typical game can be completed within 3 hours. The rules can be used with any range of models. Uses several mechanics seen in "Muskets & Springfields".

Muskets & Springfields is designed for playing big battles in the American Civil War and is not model scale dependent and uses the player's current basing system. The game is set at the operational level. The player is the army commander with sub command groups. This will be typically a Corps. In these rules a Corp is made up of several infantry brigades, mounted cavalry, and artillery batteries. If you wish you can also include Native American Indian warbands.The basic unit in wargaming terms is the infantry brigade, which are grouped into Corps or Divisions. The game system uses grids as the unit of measurement. The game space is broken into several square grids which represent 300 yards in ground scale. Taking a balance of the various drill guides of the period this is approximately equal to 600 men in two ranks. For a typical 6x4 playing space it is recommended a ratio width x depth of 1.5 x 1. A typical 6x4 table provides the following 12 (3600 yds) by 8 (2400 yds) of battlefield.Morale is handled at the corps level and attrition is held at the individual unit base. These rules have three levels of morale. This is not the usual average, veteran, elite often used. Instead, the format is designed to reflect the actual state of mind on the day. These are Unknown, Nervous and Steady. In a game, unless representing specific historical units all bases start as Unknown. The actual morale state is not known till the unit takes damage. The player then rolls against a chart which provides a score for the unit being Nervous or Steady. This is dependent on the year being played and if Confederate or Union. When a unit fails a morale check this is recorded against their parent corps. Once a corps reaches its break point it will then flee the battlefield. Attrition is held at the unit level. This represents loss of cohesion, battlefield casualties or supplies running low. A unit can absorb 6 hits before it is automatically destroyed.To facilitate a clean flow of play these rules also facilitate the use of sharpshooters and skirmishers. Turns use a bag-pull system in which it is possible for the non-active player to able to interdict the play.​

Throwing Thunderbolts is a unique guide to wargaming the battles, both large and small, of the War of the First Coalition, 1792-7, when the combined might of Europe's great powers attempted to overthrow the French Revolution. Throwing Thunderbolts will interest novice and veteran wargamers alike with nine ready-made scenarios.

This is a wargaming guide to the Spanish Civil War. The book covers the armies of both sides and different nationalities which came to the assistance, including the Italians, Russians, Germans, and mixed international volunteers.

'The Rise of Byzantium' expands the original @three Ages of Rome' ruleset beyond the collapse of Rome's Western Empire. It covers the Early Byzantine wars of Belisarius and Narses, and ends with the wars of Mauricius. The six new historical scenarios span three centuries of warfare in the eastern Mediterranean.

Designed for ease of play, this book offers a player experience based on the uncertainty of battle in the ancient period. Keeping the men going is critical to success. The rules are designed to create games that take 2-3 hours to play. The six historical scenarios provide a range of challenges.

This book details the armies, units, and battlefields of the Monmouth Rebellion, in both Scotland and England, giving the enthusiast everything needed to re-fight the battles of 1685. The detailed maps and fast play campaign rules will add extra excitement to each encounter, creating an essential companion to 1685.

The ultimate Wargaming guide on the colourful Italian Wars of 1494 - 1559.

A detailed non-rules specific guide to wargaming the Great Northern War, written by a wargamer for wargamers.

A guide to collecting armies and fleets of the period 1660-1697 covering all of the major European powers and many important minor states.